Caernarfon Town FC: club guide, matchday travel, and the story behind a first Welsh Cup

When Richard Davies stood on the pitch after the JD Welsh Cup final on 12 April 2026 and told S4C's Sgorio 'Pinch me moment. Do you know what, what a performance. We were representing the community and what we're like, like Caernarfon Town is passion, pride and commitment, and we had that in abundance today', he was speaking to an entire town's worth of history. Eighty-nine years. Six Welsh Alliance Division One titles. Two FAW Trophies. A spell in the English pyramid. A first European adventure. And not once, in any of it, had the Welsh Cup been won. Now it had. The Cofi Army could breathe.

Who are Caernarfon Town FC? Identity, colours, and what makes this club different

Caernarfon Town Football Club play in yellow and green, and they carry two names. The Canaries is the older of the two, traced to 1895, which means it predates the current club's 1937 founding by more than four decades. That a name should outlast the club that first carried it, passing through local football's upheavals and re-attaching itself to the next Caernarfon side worth calling by it, says something about how the town and the game are bound together here.

The second name, Cofis, comes from the town itself. Cofi is what people from Caernarfon call themselves: a local identity with its own dialect and its own distinct personality within Welsh-speaking Wales. The club's Welsh-language name is Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon. The club rebranded in 2026, unveiling a new crest.

Caernarfon is one of the most strongly Welsh-speaking towns in Wales, and the club reflects that. S4C's Sgorio programme covers Cymru Premier fixtures, and Welsh on the terrace is the norm rather than a novelty. First-time visitors should expect a distinctly Welsh football atmosphere and take it for what it is.

Manager Richard Davies is known to supporters as 'the Fish'. That is either a term of considerable affection or the kind of nickname that sticks regardless of preference; probably both. His supporter base calls itself the Cofi Army.

From Welsh Alliance to the top flight: the history of Caernarfon Town FC

The club was founded in 1937. Their first Welsh League North title came in 1939-40, followed by a second in 1946-47. Further titles came in 1965-66, and across those decades Caernarfon built a reputation as the strongest semi-professional club in North Wales.

In 1977-78 they reportedly completed a double: the Welsh Alliance Division One title and the FAW Trophy for the first time. The Alliance title was reportedly retained in 1978-79.

The most unusual chapter in the club's history comes next. In 1981-82, competing in the English football pyramid, Caernarfon Town won the Lancashire Combination. A Welsh club holding an English regional title is the kind of biographical detail that takes a moment to process. Supporters from that era carry away-day memories with no equivalent in the modern Welsh football structure.

Back in the Welsh system, the club moved through the reformed pyramid over the following years. In 2000-01 came the first Cymru Alliance Championship, reportedly paired with the Cymru Alliance League Cup. Then, between 2012 and 2016, a concentrated run of silverware. The 2012-13 season alone brought three trophies: the FAW Trophy (for the second time), the Welsh Alliance Division One title (reportedly their sixth and final time under that competition), and the Cookson Cup. The Cymru Alliance League Cup reportedly arrived in 2013-14 and again in 2015-16, the same season they claimed the second Cymru Alliance Championship. In 2016-17: reportedly runners-up in the Huws Gray Alliance (the second tier at the time) and League Cup winners for the fourth time.

Then 2017-18: the third Cymru Alliance title. Promotion to the top tier of Welsh football came in 2018-19, when the league was still known as the Welsh Premier League, rebranded as the Cymru Premier from 2019-20 onwards. After eight decades of building, the club had reached the top of the Welsh game.

The modern era: Welsh Cup triumph and European nights

In 2023-24, Caernarfon announced they had genuinely arrived at this level. They beat Penybont 3-1 in the Cymru Premier play-off final at The Oval in front of reportedly 1,960 supporters, qualifying for European football for the first time in the club's history. Caernarfon became the 10th Cymru Premier club from North Wales to compete in Europe. For those qualifying rounds, home matches were played at Bangor City Stadium rather than The Oval.

The season's standout individual was Sion Bradley, who was named JD Cymru Premier Player of the Season at the 2024 FAW National League Awards. His words at the ceremony were direct: 'I want to thank the Caernarfon fans more than anything. They've been great with me for the past six to seven years.' He then left the club to join The New Saints.

The 2025-26 season delivered something bigger still. Caernarfon reportedly finished 4th in the Cymru Premier with 45 points and 56 goals scored, matching the best Cymru Premier finish in the club's history. But the Welsh Cup final on 12 April 2026 at Rodney Parade in Newport was the day that will be talked about longest.

Caernarfon defeated Flint Town United by three goals to nil. Sion Bradley scored after seven minutes, receiving a pass from Paulo Mendes before cutting on to his right foot and firing home. Richard Davies, speaking to Sgorio after the match, captured the mood perfectly: 'Pinch me moment. Do you know what, what a performance. The game plan was spot-on and the way the lads have executed it, it's unbelievable. We went out today and we were representing the community and what we're like — Caernarfon Town is passion, pride and commitment, and we had that in abundance today.'

As Welsh Cup holders, Caernarfon Town have reportedly now qualified for the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League. For a club this size, in this town, that sentence still sounds unreal.

The 2025-26 season also saw the club play home fixtures away from The Oval. Structural renovation work at their Caernarfon ground meant home matches were hosted at Maesdu Park in Llandudno, the home of JD Cymru North side Llandudno FC. The Oval renovation is now complete and the club returns home for the 2026-27 season.

The Oval: ground guide

The Oval is in Caernarfon, LL55. It is a compact, enclosed ground with the kind of matchday atmosphere that comes from a crowd close to the pitch and genuinely caring about what happens on it.

The club spent the 2025-26 season playing home fixtures at Maesdu Park in Llandudno while structural renovation work was carried out at The Oval. They return to Caernarfon for the 2026-27 season.

The club has completed a new 600-seat stand, built in memory of Wyn Davies. Born in Caernarfon in 1942, Davies played for Caernarfon Town before going on to make over 550 Football League appearances for clubs including Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Nicknamed 'Wyn the Leap' for his heading ability, he earned 34 Wales caps and is widely regarded as Caernarfon's most celebrated sportsman. He died in July 2025. The stand is a fitting tribute at a ground now entering its first European season.

On ticket prices and parking: the sources consulted for this article do not include current pricing or confirmed parking arrangements at The Oval. Plan early for 2026-27, as European fixtures may carry different arrangements from standard Cymru Premier games. Check the club's social media channels for the latest information.

Getting to The Oval: driving from Bangor and beyond

The club's own published directions from the east run as follows: enter Caernarfon on Bangor Road, pass Morrisons, follow signs over the flyover toward Llanberis, bear left at the Eagles pub, continue uphill (signposted Beddgelert), then take the second turning on the right into Segontium Road South. The ground is visible at the end of that road.

On public transport: the sources consulted for this article do not include bus or rail timetables serving The Oval. For current options from Bangor or further afield, check Traveline Cymru at traveline.cymru or Transport for Wales at tfw.wales before your visit.

Community roots: academy, women's football, and Cofi life

The club operates an academy from under-6s to under-19s. The under-19s play in the FAW Development League. A ladies team also exists. Managing all this while the first team competes in the Cymru Premier and enters European competition demands significant volunteer work. It is this effort, from parents, coaches, and committee members putting in hours that never appear in a match programme, that keeps a club like this functioning week to week.

Community work runs wider than football. In December 2025 the club ran a 'Cofis Supporting Gisda' initiative and separately organised a visit to a children's ward. Neither of those is a marquee event, but both are the kind of thing that defines what a community football club actually means beyond the results on a Saturday.

The Cofi Lotto is the club's charity lottery. For supporters who cannot get to every match, it is a straightforward way to contribute without needing to be in the ground.

For the 2026-27 season, the club has launched CLWB 1401, a membership scheme whose name comes from the Battle of Twthill, fought at Caernarfon on 2 November 1401 during Owain Glyndŵr's revolt against English rule. Members receive priority access to tickets for high-demand matches and events, plus 10% off season tickets and matchday merchandise. Sign up at fanbaseclub.com.

How to follow and support Caernarfon Town FC

The club's main presence is on social media. Find them on Twitter/X at @CaernarfonTown, on Facebook as CaernarfonTownFC, and on Instagram as @CaernarfonTown. For Welsh-language match coverage, S4C's Sgorio is the place to go.

Welsh Cup holders, UEFA Conference League qualifiers, and one of the most passionately Welsh football communities in North Wales: Caernarfon Town FC and The Oval are well worth the trip.

Planning your visit to Caernarfon

If you are making a day or a weekend of your visit, the North Wales Local directory has pubs and restaurants in Gwynedd and hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering accommodation in Gwynedd to help with the rest of the planning.

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